Place
by I Stare Sometimes
Summary: Cornelia Cross never felt she fit in, and she never had friends. When she accidentally met a guy named Dan Howell at her University, they somehow managed to become friends. Slowly but surely, he helped her become a more vibrant version of herself. But he didn't change her life - he could barely change his *own*... He simply *became* her life. She just didn't know he had. Dan/OC
1. Hello Again!

_**A/N:** So, I am slightly obsessed. :[_

 _Now, this story may not be 100% correct fact-wise, but I wrote this for fun. Not for research._

* * *

It was a warm day, the day she had met him. The seasons had been in the midst of changing from summer to autumn.

They had somehow managed to awkwardly bump into each other as they each hurried to get their bags off of the asphalt of the busy parking lot.

At orientation, they had unintentionally walked into the building together and decided to stay with each other. They exchanged warm smiles and formal introductions.

"Dan Howell," he said pleasantly offering his hand, if not a tad bit awkwardly.

"Cornelia Cross," she had replied, giving his hand a soft up-down. It couldn't entirely be considering a "handshake", moreso a slight "handhold".

Usually people reacted oddly to her name, but Dan only smiled wider in return, revealing dimpled cheeks, and said, "Glad to officially meet you, Cornelia!"

They exchanged numbers and, despite their equally anti-social tendencies, kept in touch throughout the semester. Cornelia was surprised to find herself getting breakfast with him before their respective classes. Sometimes he would show up to her dorm room to study with two cups of Starbucks.

When she had told him she didn't like coffee, he had pursed his lips, smiled widely at her and said sarcastically (but not snidely), "I knew that! I always get _two_ for myself! I wanted you to accompany me to get you some _hot chocolate_!" The way he had said it like a game-show host made her laugh and allow Dan to drag her to the campus cafeteria for hot chocolate.

What surprised her even more was his consideration for her and what she felt. When her and Dan had attended their first (Cornelia's first and last) party, she had noticed he realized her rings were her stress ball in uncomfortable situations. The second it had started up, he was casually glancing at her hands, then stopping his glances when she stopped.

It started up again when a drunk and uncomfortably close co-student cornered her, speaking in unintelligible slurs, and that's when Dan came to her rescue, saying that it was getting late. They had spontaneously gone to café in town to get hot chocolate.

Cornelia had never laughed so much in her life, and Dan's jokes and (admittedly crude) humor made her feel bold. Bold for _Cornelia_ , that is.

It was when Dan took a year off of University that their blooming friendship was put to a halt. She grinned and bared it, and they texted off and on throughout the year, but it was more "off" than "on".

One day, she was surprised to have spotted Dan on the campus. When she greeted him, he smiled politely and told her he was officially dropping out of Uni.

All the doubt Cornelia may have subconsciously thought about herself and having friends hit her like a horrible cement brick. He never really expressed why it was he left, but then again, Cornelia didn't really _ask_. She had admittedly assumed it was because of her...

Nevertheless, she hugged him (only because he instigated it), and said, "Well, lets stay in touch."

She knew he'd never text her.

And he didn't.

* * *

 ** _A Few Months Later..._**

* * *

Cornelia could technically be classified as "focused" with a capital 'F'. She always focused on the things ahead, nothing presently with her. She had an unlimited amount of projects, both academic and for entertainment.

It distracted her from her "social life".

One thing she had going for her, was that she was a singer. One with humble talent and an old guitar that was handed down to her from her grandfather.

Although she would never let anyone know, she would write songs in a small journal she stashed in her large purse. She would never have the courage to sing them, but the only person allowed to look into her small book was her cousin.

The two of them had been close when they were younger and when both families lived in Lancashire at the same time. The sisters' (her mum, and his) families always moved around.

But one day, when he was "babysitting", he found her writing in one of her first books.

She had been eleven at the time, and he seventeen. A time when they both naively assumed they _knew_ anything about life.

The book was now lost, along with the lyrics and poems in it; but she did remember it was horribly melodramatic, and that he had insisted she sing it for him.

The only reason Cornelia was comfortable with herself singing was because of the enthusiastic positivity and love she received from her cousin.

He had unfortunately moved a little while after, with his family. When he graduated, he went to York to study English and Linguistics. He also apparently carried on with a blog he created months before.

Cornelia didn't know the details. She never asked. Plus, she didn't like the internet. While she used it when she needed to, the rate at which it changed made her anxious.

She missed her cousin despite their frequent texts. She wanted to hear his laugh when he was embarrassed; or when he didn't understand a joke of hers but laughed simply because she did.

Her life had, after-all, slowly turned from childish bliss to the storm that is adolescence, and then the adult reality; as all lives do.

When she was thirteen, she and her mum went to the doctors. Her anxiety and anti-social behavior apparently had a label. "Social communication disorder", her doctor called it. A possible diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum.

She lived on, through the rough patches, and over the bumps; but only because of her cousin. Their conversations and his devotion to keep himself in her life saved her.

When she herself graduated, she got a half-way decent job as she worked a degree in Music and English.

She had a miniature quarter-life crisis when she was laid-off from her job for financial reasons. She knew and understood the reason for her unemployment, but she couldn't help but feel _rejected_.

She called her mom, left a ten second message, and laid in bed for half a week.

* * *

 _ **Knock, knock.**_

Her eyes opened blearily, and she yawned. Her dorm room was tiny, and it felt as though the knock was against her skull, not the door.

She mumbled an obscenity, and rolled over; tucking herself under her comforter.

"Cornie?" A familiar voice called, making the simple, two-syllable name sound like a four-syllable whine.

Her eyes shot open, but she didn't move. _Was she dreaming?_

"Cornie!" Now it sounded like cheesily staged panic. "You have to let me in! I think there's a lion out here!"

A grin burst upon her face. Only one person would be that _lame_ besides _her_.

"Phil!" She murmured excitedly, whipping her blankets off of her body. Glancing in the mirror beside her wardrobe, she took her hair out of its shambled bun, letting the black hair fall in waves instead of her usual tight curls.

She unlocked the heavy door as fast as she could and opened it. With the door now open, the cousins studied each other with wide smiles.

"You look rubbish, Cornie," Phil teased, with a mockingly contemplative tilt of his head.

"Says the guy with the emo-trash hair-style," she retorted, smirking happily.

It was when she heard a charmingly familiar laugh that she noticed Phil wasn't alone.

"Dan?!" Cornelia exclaimed, her oceanic eyes shimmering with happy confusion.

His grin widened to a dimple-revealing smile. "Great to see you again, Cornelia!"

"I-It's great to see you again, too!" She stammered, suddenly feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. Was he just saying that...?

"Um, come in! Please," Cornelia finally said.

The two of them squoze their colossal heights into her tiny dorm room and sat on the empty bed opposite of her own. With her being roughly Phil's height, the already puny room seemed even more cramped.

"Hold on," she laughed, holding a hand up. "I didn't know you knew Phil, Dan!" she exclaimed. "Or you Dan, Phil!"

The two laughed slightly.

"It really is a small world, isn't it?" Phil chuckled, looking between Dan and Cornelia.

"It's just weird that I never brought Phil up to you, Corrie," Dan added, smiling, adjusting the weight of the bags in his hand.

When she noticed unidentified shopping bags rustling in _both_ their hands, she pointed.

"What are those for?" Cornelia questioned lightly, self-consciously picking up piles of discarded clothing. How had her laundry backed up? She hadn't even moved for days...

"You!" Phil exclaimed excitedly, holding up his bag triumphantly. "They're treats!"

"Aunt Bianca called me and told me about the job," he continued, decisively more somber. In a typical Phil-esque way, his somber tone became an upbeat explanation. "Since she's 'farther away than I am'," he air quoted, "she asked if I could come down to cheer you up! Dan heard the phone call and asked to come along!"

Cornelia blinked, surprised Dan cared enough...

She shook her head clear. He was probably here to visit other friends.

"Uh," was all she managed. _Great job, Cornelia_ , she thought, pulling one of her many rings off then back on to her finger.

"I hope you don't mind that I showed up unexpectedly," Dan chipped in suddenly, no doubt noticing her fidgeting.

Cornelia smiled softly, despite herself, at his acknowledgement and shook her head. "No, of course I don't mind!" She chuckled. She suddenly decided to stand and she crouched to grip her cousin in a strong, affectionate embrace, him returning it like a happy child. She knew she must have missed him; she _never_ hugged people.

She straightened herself back up and turned to Dan, smiling softer. He suddenly stood and enveloped her in a hug.

"I really have missed you, Cornelia!" He said pleasantly as she awkwardly tried to return the embrace. "I am so sorry I never texted!" He suddenly exclaimed, getting out of the hug and held her by her biceps, his brown eyes were wide and apologetic. "I broke my phone quiet a few months ago and therefore lost ALL of my contacts," he continued, chuckling at himself.

Cornelia just blinked at him.

"R-really?"

Dan smiled a small smile. "Yeah, it was embarrassing, really. I literally dropped it down a stairway in an apartment building."

Cornelia just started laughing, feeling relieved... If not a little guilty.

The three of them spent the night playing video games (on a small console Dan had brought from their flat) and eating nothing but junk food, ice cream, and hot chocolate.

Needless to say, Cornelia felt pretty much all better.


	2. The Lonely

_**A/N:**_ _I hope I don't offend anyone that has social communication disorder... If I do, be sure to communicate that with me, and I'll edit it. :\_

 _My sister has the disorder, and I wanted to incorporate her personality - her personality that I love - into the character._

* * *

Cornelia was doodling.

The kind of doodling that a phone call from her mother almost seemed worth ignoring... But Cornelia would never do that.

She looked back to her picture from the vibrating phone and evaluated her drawing - an odd combination of a winged-centaur-lion-lady-thing with a very detailed background of a battle between bees and birds.

Letting out a slight laugh through her nose, she quickly grabbed her phone and opened it to answer.

 _Why worry her?_

Cornelia both appreciated and didn't appreciate the fact that her mother called _every_ _single_ _day_. She saw it as her mother using the calls as a chance to _appear_ nosy and gossipy when Cornelia knew all her mother was doing was make sure she was okay.

"So, 'ow was your day, love?" Her mother's voice chirped over the phone. Cornelia didn't even _need_ to greet anymore.

"Good. Everything went fine, mum. Yours?"

"Oh, well, it was fine! In fact, I talked to your auntie for a 'hole two hours!"

"Oh," Cornelia murmured. "And 'ow is she doin'?" Cornelia cringed at herself. She always emulated her mother's heavy northern accent when she spoke to her.

"Well, she's all fine and good, buh I asked her how Martyn and Phil was, and 'ou'll never guess!"

"Guess _whaht_ , mum?" Cornelia asked curiously.

"Well, see, when I asked her; and she got to Phil, she nearly just burst with joy! When she settled and finally could speak, she told me that Phil was _famous_!"

" _Whaht?_ " Cornelia's voice became shrill, and the single syllable word became at least four. _What?_

"Yeah! That's whaht _I_ said!" Her mother giggled. "Turns out, Phil 'as been part of an online-like thing called 'You - Tube'! He has over a hundred thousand follows!"

Cornelia was silent.

Her awkward, adorable, amazing, and odd cousin was - dare she say it - _famous_?

" _Whaht?!_ " She repeated, putting down her pencil in shock.

"Thah's whaht I said, again!" Her mother chortled. "Your auntie mentioned that you should start up one of them accounts yourself with that 'eautiful voice o' yours!"

Cornelia blushed and curled up on herself. _When had her aunt heard her sing?_

"An' then I said how great of an idea thah was! You know, your voice 's so lovely, you'd be rich from it if you were discovered! Sissy said thah Phil 'ent from normal blogs to these 'videoh blogs' and that's what made him grow so popular!"

Cornelia barely registered what her mother said afterwords. She absently said goodbyes when she heard the telltale sign of her mother wrapping up the phone call, and held her phone limply in her hand, staring at her dorm room's wall.

Was she good?

She knew she wasn't _bad_ , but was she _good_?

Good enough to _publicize_?

No. No she wasn't. She was _not_ good. Her songs she had written were rubbish.

What about other people's songs...? Cover songs.

Her train-of-thought derailed as she ran to her laptop and opened the browser, and typing the unfamiliar words "You" and "Tube".

The google search corrected her under the search bar. "'YouTube'. No spaces," she mumbled to herself. "Odd."

Looking at the website for the first time made her anxious. There were so many... pictures. And words. Too many pictures and words. She couldn't read them all.

Bravely shoving her anxiety back, she clicked on the search bar there at the top of the site and - unsure of what else to put - typed 'Phil Lester'.

Unprepared, she let out a loud laugh.

"'AmazingPhil'," she exclaimed to herself. "For fuck's sake Phil, you are _weird_!"

Clicking on one of the first videos she saw, she watched her cousin talk to the camera, his blue eyes wide and his shoulders never staying still.

Suddenly, she felt her mind slip back into place.

'Cover songs', she typed into the search bar.

She found many, many, many results. Most by a "Chester See". After listening to a few of his works, she found even more covers by other people she didn't know the names of.

All of them were good.

 _Heartbreakingly_ good.

She closed her laptop, and curled up in bed.

She couldn't sleep, and it wasn't until two in the morning that she bit the bullet, and called the only one who would help her decide.

"Hullo...?" Came the groggy response.

Biting her thumb nail, she stayed silent, suddenly feeling guilty for waking him up.

She listened as his side of the line rustled a whole bunch.

"Hullo?" His voice came clearer. "Cornie?"

"Phil..." she finally bit out. "I need your help."

* * *

His answer, needless to say, was a staggering "OH my gosh, YES." His vehemence startled her, and when Phil practically ordered her to come to his flat the next day to film it, she was breathless.

So, now she was sat in the kitchen of Phil and Dan's flat - as it was the only place in the while house that 'had the right lighting'. Phil was going a tad bit overboard.

Also, apparently, Dan and Phil lived together... and had since quite a while into Uni... and had a 'YouTube' as well.

At least, that's what she inferred as Dan and Phil _collectively_ fussed around her, setting up the camera and making sure nothing would obstruct the microphones they had insisted she use.

She was nervous.

Hell, 'nervous' didn't even _cover_ the anxiety she felt.

Her hands were shaking as she pulled the ring on her right index finger off and then on again. Over and over until Dan sat beside her and placed a calm, soft hand over hers. Cornelia tensed at the contact.

"Hey. Enough of that," he said with a soft, understanding smile. Cornelia stared at his dimple before it disappeared. She felt her shoulders relax.

"You'll do _fine_ , okay?" He ducked his head down so he could catch her eye. She had been staring at his dimple.

She felt her wide eyes follow his as he straightened.

Usually eyes made her uncomfortable and anxious, and looking _into_ them made her even _more_ uncomfortable and anxious, but Dan's eyes were nice to look at. They looked like glowing amber in the sunlight coming through the window of their flat.

"You'll do fine," he comforted. "Granted, I've never heard you before, but I don't think Phil would be going through lit-rah-lee _all_ of our sound shit if he didn't believe you'd be spectacular."

Cornelia blinked her gaze away, then back to his amber eyes. She realized that aside from Phil's and her mother's eyes, she felt fine looking into Dan's. While Dan's eyes reminded her of amber, Phil's eyes reminded her of translucent, blue-tinged quartz.

"But that's just Phil," she protested, realizing she almost missed the cue to respond. "He's amazing that way."

Dan's eyebrow quirked upwards in unison with a corner of his mouth, and Cornelia softly laughed bashfully. "I've been calling him amazing _before_ that channel name, Dan."

"Fair enough," he chortled, standing up. "Buck up, yeah?"

Cornelia stared up at Dan before taking a deep breath, forcing her heart rate to slow down. "Yeah," she finally replied, smiling a small smile.

"Okay!" Phil exclaimed, barging into the room, pointing at her.

 _He had left...?_

"Do you have a channel yet, Cornie?"

"Ehm..." She barred her teeth and sucked in air through them. "...No."

Phil's face scrunched into a contemplative one.

"Start brainstorming," he said pointing to her again. "I will be _right_ back!"

Cornelia's upper lip pulled up, showing her left canine tooth and sighed heavily.

"I don't wan' to," she protested petulantly, her hand moving to get into her nervous rhythm. A username would mean this idea solidifying. A username was a step closer to _uploading_.

"How about 'CorneliaCorndogs'?" Dan quickly suggested with a wide grin.

Cornelia's hand halted and she blanched, laughing loudly. "No," she finally answered. " _Absolutely_ not."

"Mm," Dan hummed, leaning back against the couch in their living room. "How about ' _CornEggsAndHam_ '?"

Cornelia laughed again. "Can we avoid pun names? Please?" She begged, despite her peels of laughter.

"Why!" Dan exclaimed, laughing. "How about 'CorneliaCobs'!"

"Dan!" She scolded, laughing even harder.

Phil burst in the room with a long lamp, wielding it like a staff triumphantly. "Eureka!" He exclaimed grandly.

He set the lamp down, turned it on and aimed it the best he could to where he had placed Cornelia.

"What did you decide?" He asked once he futzed around with the shade enough.

Cornelia grinned widely at Dan and replied with a twinge of sarcasm, "'CorneliaCornCobs'."

Dan burst out laughing his loud, albeit rare, laugh. The kind Cornelia felt proud causing. The kind that made his eyes crinkle and his dimples to overcome his cheeks. She liked that face, she decided.

Phil laughed along with the two of them, but then sobered. "I like it!" He exclaimed. "It's very _you_."

Cornelia and Dan started laughing again, only harder.

"Guys!" Phil scolded lightheartedly. "Come on! We're wasting sunlight!"

It was a good five minutes before Dan's laugh stopped making Cornelia laugh - and vice versa.

She wanted to say 'just kidding, let me think of something more sensible', but she couldn't bring herself to rejecting the ridiculous username.

They finally settled down, and Cornelia got her guitar out of its case.

"You ready, Cornie?" Phil inquired proudly.

Cornelia smiled up at her cousin behind his camera, her eyes flickering over to Dan behind him.

"I am now," she murmured happily.

"Tell us when," Dan replied, nodding at Phil to man the camera.

"Remember," Phil instructed like a nitpicking mother hen, spreading his hands as he spoke. "Nice, pleasant introduction; then song, then amazingness!"

Cornelia chuckled at how bouncy Phil was acting and when she noticed Dan's cheesy thumbs-up she returned it sarcastically.

She sighed a deep breath, expelling any returning butterflies, and nodded to the two of them, asking apprehensively, "Will... You two be staying?"

Dan and Phil opened their mouths at the same time, but with a single look from Phil, Dan reconsidered confusedly.

"Don't worry," Phil said peppily. "We'll move outside when you begin singing, Cornie. You're going to do great."

She smiled softly, and nodded for Phil to press record.

"Hello there, YouTube," she started awkwardly, but with a pleasant smile.

"I'm not one for introductions, as they are horribly intimidating mythical beasts; but here I am. Introducing myself!" She chuckled.

"My name is Cornelia, but thanks to a nickname from a certain family member, and some assistance from a... _friend_ , I've decided to roll with the horribleness of this username."

She looked off to the side, pursing her lips. "'CorneliaCornDogs'... Amazing, Cornelia," she lightheartedly criticized. "This is what you're releasing onto the Internet..."

She looked back to the lens, peeking at her onlookers behind the camera, and continued.

"Anyway," she grinned. "I'm not holding this guitar for kicks, I'm here to... Well, sing. A song. That isn't mine."

Her gaze returned to the sidelines again. "Very original," she monotoned sarcastically, nodding with an 'approving' downturn of her mouth.

"Anyway, again," her eyes returned to the lens, glancing up at Dan and Phil again.

"The song is 'The Lonely', by Christina Perri."

She looked down, suddenly incredibly anxious. Heaving a deep sigh, she strummed a chord.

As her thumb brushed over each string, it felt _right_.

As her thumb hit the last string, she looked up to the lens and smiled a small smile, seeing Phil ushering out a very confused Dan behind the camera in her peripherals.

"I hope you enjoy."

* * *

"Why'd you push us out? I kinda wanted to watch," Dan whispered as he heard the opening chords for the song playing behind the closed door Phil seemed to be guarding.

"Well, Dan," Phil began, but stopped. He took Dan's arm and led him another few feet from the door. "Cornelia doesn't need the extra stress of performing in front of us. She can barely sing in front of me, and I'm the only one she allows to hear her."

Phil spared a long glance at the door when he heard a voice begin the melody. He smiled softly to himself.

When he turned back to Dan, the taller of the two was doing the same - smiling at the door, that is. Phil gently prodded Dan's arm and he continued. "I feel like I should let you know, Dan, that Cornie has a communication disorder."

Dan's brows furrowed in bemusement and he stared at Phil. "What!" He laughed slightly.

Phil's eyebrows scrunched slightly, defensively almost. "Yes," he began. "It's very mild, she worries about her anxiety and stress daily. I like to give her a comfortable atmosphere when she's with me, so that's why we're out here."

Dan only stared at Phil. Phil's eyebrows were getting dangerously lower. "Is that a _problem_ , Dan?" Phil asked disbelievingly.

Dan shook his head to free himself of his paralysis. "No!" he exclaimed quietly. Phil's face relaxed. "No, no! It's not a problem. I just... I never noticed! She seems fine... Now that you mention, though... The ring thing..." Dan trailed off.

Phil cocked his head to the side. "What ring thing?"

Dan mimicked Phil, cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow. "You never noticed? When she's uncomfortable, she -..."

Phil was about to urge him on, when he too noticed that the singing in the other room increased in volume.

The two of them crept quietly to the door and placed their ears close.

Phil hadn't heard her sing in a few years, and the voice he heard was not the timid voice he had heard last. Her voice was stronger, and more skilled. She sung with dynamics, and she had a soft vibrato that made the song seem eerie as she sung. Now catching the words of the song, and hearing the natural crescendos, Phil immediately felt proud - if not a bit sad - as he realized the relevance of the song.

* * *

"Cause the loneliness will stay with me

And hold me till I fall asleep," she sung with a heartbroken swell.

"I'm the ghost of a girl that I want to be most.

I'm the shell of a girl that I used to know well," her voice was becoming softer.

"Dancing slowly in an empty room,

Can the lonely take the place of you?" Her voice wove around the words, almost reminding Phil of a dance.

"I sing myself a quiet lullaby,

Let you go and let the lonely in

To take my heart again..." Her voice became low and thick.

"Broken pieces of..." now it was soft and purposefully shaky - he could tell the difference.

"A barely breathing sto-or-y.

Where there once was love...

Now there's only me.

And the Lonely."

* * *

There was a silence in the flat as Phil and Dan shared a slack-jawed look, and as Cornelia shakily hummed the last view bars and ended with a soft descending chord on her guitar.

"So, that was that," Cornelia chuckled shakily. "Hope you enjoyed!"

She bit her lip as her eyes wandered around the room.

Her eyes met the lens again, and she smiled. "So yeah, welcome to CorneliaCornCobs!"

She looked up as the door opened, and she smiled at Dan as he turned the camera off.

Dan's eyes lingered on her for a moment before he broke out into a large smile. "That was freaking amazing, Cornelia!"

Cornelia mentally recoiled. "Did you hear it?" She asked breathlessly.

Dan's smile faltered slightly. "Not really..." He lied. "Phil was talking to me... But I'll be hearing it when I edit."

He studied Cornelia as she visibly relaxed and smiled up at him. "I thought Phil was going to do that," she murmured.

Dan's smile softened. "I offered to do it initially, but Phil tried to take my editing rights. _I'm stealin' them back_." He winked lightheartedly. She was taken slightly aback by the winking, but then she remembered that Dan always did that. Cornelia chuckled quietly.

"I should watch some of your videos while you edit it, then," she said softly, but with a smile.

"Oh, god, no! Don't do that!" He laughed. "You'll never want to speak to me again!"

"I doubt that," Cornelia responded seriously. "Where's Phil off-to?" She suddenly asked, noticing his absence.

"He went to go get lunch! He hadn't done the shopping this morning, so he offered to run and get takeout."

Cornelia in turn blinked, and nodded once, putting her guitar away in silence.

What Dan said miffed her... She wouldn't avoid talking to him because of something silly.

Dan bit his lip at her silence and nodded to himself, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.

"I doubt I'd never want to talk to you again, Dan," Cornelia suddenly said - still very serious - getting up from her guitar case. She stared into his eyes steadfastly, continuing. "You're one of my best friends besides Phil, despite the fact that I don't know you _all_ that well. I'd like to get to know you better. Getting to know you better means seeing what you love to do. You love making your videos, don't you?"

Dan stared into her blue-green eyes, remembering he had to nod.

When he did, Cornelia's gaze went to her guitar case. "Then I want to see what you love."

Dan smiled softly at her cheesy yet kind remark, his dimples showing once more.

Her gaze flickered up to his face and she studied the dimples.

She cleared her throat suddenly, and picked up her case. "I'm going to put this by the door."

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _lol, why. xD_

 _I hope I didn't butcher the delivery of the song... I think I did. But... #YOLO. x[_


	3. The Response

_**A/N:** You guys should speak up... Haha x)_

 _I see some people have read this, but literally no response at all._

 _Let me know if you like it! If you hate it. If you think I should improve. C'mon guys!_

* * *

" _So, CorneliaCornCobs! Have you looked at your new channel yet?"_

Cornelia repressed a groan.

"No...?"

Phil sighed. " _Cornelia Cross. You have to sometime! It's been, like, a week!_ "

Deciding to be petulant, she retorted, "Technically I don't 'have to', _ever_..."

Phil huffed slightly, and the cousins shared a silence.

Biting her lip, Cornelia cautiously asked, "Are you mad?"

There was a momentary pause.

" _No, of course I'm not. Just... you should care more about this, Corrie! It's a big step to begin on YouTube._ "

"I know that!" Cornelia responded immediately, resigned. "I just don't want to see the response! I feel _so_ nervous, Phil." Her forehead met her hand and she sighed. "And nauseous..." she added quietly.

" _Dan_ ," she heard Phil exasperatedly call. She heard the phone rustle. Was Phil handing the phone to Dan...?

" _Thirty thousand likes, one hundred thousand views, and six hundred subscribers_ ," Dan rattled off with a single breath. " _Some comments include: 'Who is this girl? She's amazing!... And in Dan and Phil's kitchen!', 'Better than original!', 'That was really amazing!', and 'Honestly, is there a reason she isn't discovered yet?'_ "

Cornelia was silent as Dan read off even more comments from the video.

To be honest, she hadn't even stopped to watch the end product of Dan's editing. She had left their flat right after eating, and before Dan had a chance to finish editing.

She actually felt like crying while she forced herself to listen to Dan doing what she was too afraid to do.

" _You should really read the rest yourself, Cornelia_ ," Dan said after a moments silence on her part.

" _You were well received_ ," he continued. " _Maybe with a little help from us... But seriously, you should watch it and read the comments yourself._ "

Cornelia didn't say anything, still too shocked to articulate her thoughts. She couldn't decide how she felt that her 'famous' friend and cousin had utilized their position to promote her...

" _I'm assuming you're processing... So, we'll call you later, yeah? Happy reading._ "

He hung up.

* * *

 _Cornelia_ was the one to call back. It had been an hour, looking through all of the comments she possibly could.

She told Phil she'd be over in a few minutes the second he picked up his phone.

She left her dorm, taking her laptop under her arm, flustered and desperate for the presence of her two friends.

Arriving at their flat in record time, she knocked on the door as calmly as she could manage.

She expected Phil to answer, but when Dan opened the door in his stead, she barely took notice - and threw her free arm around his neck (quite easily as she was the same height as her cousin). She was laughing tearfully into his shoulder when he let out a surprised yelp and bashful chuckle.

She vaguely remembered Dan had a 'neck-touching issue', so she tried her best to loosen her arm, but it wouldn't cooperate. In fact, her grip tightened when she felt his arms wrap around her ribcage, awkwardly bumping one of his arms into her laptop. This finally allowed her to wake up from her glee, and break from their somewhat awkward embrace.

Her face was pink and hot for so many different reasons; she couldn't even begin to focus - even on the equally flushed face of Dan.

Phil joined them at the front door, and Cornelia pounced - embracing her cousin tightly.

" _Thank_ you!" she exclaimed, noticing Dan busying himself with closing and locking the door. "Thank you _so_ much, you guys!"

She pulled away from a _slightly_ confused Phil, and ran into their lounge to set her laptop on the breakfast bar.

She was chattering excitedly as the laptop booted up from it's sleep mode, beside herself that the comments were almost entirely supportive and positive.

It was after the three of them shared enough laughter that Cornelia's settled down, and simply beamed down at her laptop.

She didn't notice Phil's proud smile, nor Dan's happy smirk.

All she saw was herself in the reflection of her laptop screen.

And she was smiling the biggest smile she remembered ever smiling.

Of course she always smiled around Dan, and doubtlessly around Phil, but this smile seemed different to her... _and_ it wouldn't leave her face...

She felt... _proud_ of herself. And that was the first time she ever had felt _that_.

Her feelings welled and welled up, until - she didn't know how it happened - she very suddenly and very quietly burst into tears.

Phil had noticed her expression start to twist, and was already hugging her as she laughed through sobs, insisting she was fine and that she didn't know why she was crying.

But she did know. Deep down, she _did_.

 _This_ is what it felt like to be accepted. To be noticed for your talent, and _appreciated_ for it.

Cornelia buried her head into Phil's shaking shoulder, and she heard their bemused laughter above her. She felt Dan's large hand petting her hair on her back.

She took a moment to appreciate this moment... to never forget it.

This was the most comfortable she had been with herself in a long, _long_ time.

It felt amazing.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Short chapter, but I needed to update this. Cause I need to get closer to other things. _

_This is the 'boring beginning chapters' phase, and I hate it. xD Almost out, though._

 _So, yay!_

 _Hope you enjoyed. :)_


	4. A Day in the Life of Phil and Dan!

_**A/N: Hello, guest reviewer! :D**_

 _ **Thank you for your review. :) I'm glad that you think the story is cute! x) You're too kind. :D**_

 _ **OKAY, so I went into "hey, you're not doing anything, you should go Super Sleuth Researcher real quick for validity" mode and so, I updated the first chapter! :] Should give you a less vague idea about when this starts... Hopefully. I don't know. Maybe. We'll see.**_

 _ **By the way. T**_ _ **hat new danisnotonfire video, tho, amiright...? ಠ╭╮ಠ (it made me cry)**_

* * *

" _Shh... Cornelia's still sleeping, I think_ ," Cornelia suddenly heard. Was that Phil? Was he whispering to someone... Dan?

Cornelia poked her head up from the couch she was sleeping on. "Phil?" she mumbled groggily, her knees popping as she tried to sit up.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, laughing. "I woke her up!"

Cornelia looked around blearily and finally found Phil, her eyes still heavy. "Phil, are you _filming_ me...?"

Phil stood by the breakfast bar, pointing a small, red camera her way, guiltily replying with, " _No_..."

Cornelia had no energy to react any other way than mumbling, "Hi," and tiredly going back under the blanket that had been deposited on her during the night by Phil the previous night.

She toned out any further camera-conversation Phil was having, until he shook her shoulder gently.

"You should wake up, Cornelia! It's around ten twenty."

She took a large inhale and got up, groggily grabbing her clothes and unsteadily made her way to the bathroom to change.

When she got out of the bathroom, she heard both Dan and Phil talking with each other.

"I think Tesco's gonna arrive in a minute," Phil said, and clicked the button on the camera to stop the video recording. Dan and Phil both turned when Cornelia entered the lounge.

"Mornin' fellas," Cornelia greeted groggily as she joined them in the kitchen.

"Morning!" they greeted in unison. "You can go ahead and grab whatever you'd like to eat, Cornie. Our groceries will be here any second," Phil continued on, smiling at his cousin.

"Oh, great!" Cornelia joked, "Now I can lay waste to your kitchen cupboards."

The three shared a laugh, and suddenly they all heard the door.

"Need help, Dan?" Cornelia offered when she saw Dan start for the door by himself.

Dan just shook his head, replying, "Nah, just go on and eat! I'll be back in a sec."

* * *

Cornelia had a bowl of cereal poured and she was sitting on the sofa when Phil turned the camera on suddenly, and Dan exclaimed, "Two trips is for pussies!"

Cornelia and Phil laughed at the sheer amount of bags Dan carried, but Cornelia watched them as she silently ate her breakfast.

She laughed as Dan inspected their groceries, and laughed even louder when Dan exclaimed that he and Phil 'weren't a family of ten' when he found the mega box of Shreddies.

Dan walked over to the couch when he had made up his own bowl of cereal, and smiled at Cornelia.

"Morning," he said again, and Cornelia laughed softly through a mouthful of cereal. "Mor'nuh," she responded with a smirk.

"How was the couch?" Dan inquired, setting up his laptop on the coffee table.

"Not that bad," she replied after she was through with her mouthful. She readjusted her position so she sat straighter, and added, "It was comfortable until I woke up."

They both shared another laugh, and Cornelia stared as Dan literally almost inhaled his bowl of cereal, just so he could recline and place his laptop on his lap.

 _How did he even... Nevermind._

* * *

She was planning to leave the flat simultaneously with Dan and Phil and was wandering around the apartment when she was drawn to the bathroom because of the sound of a hair dryer.

She stood watching Dan muss with his slightly damp hair (as he had taken a _fast_ shower after Phil's).

When he started playing around with a straightener, she got curious.

"Dan?"

"Hm?"

"Why on earth do you do that?"

Dan looked over his shoulder at Cornelia, raising a brow but smiling widely nevertheless. "The question _I_ should be asking, is why are you watching me straighten my hair, Corrie?"

Despite her sudden urge to shrivel and flee from the bathroom door, she forced herself to stay.

"Because the door was open," she managed to reply nonchalantly.

Dan only laughed, turning back to the mirror to continue straightening his fringe. "I dunno," he finally responded. "I like my hair better if it doesn't look like a rats nest. Or hobbit hair."

Cornelia suddenly perked up. " _Hobbit hair_?" She repeated, grinning. _He likes Lord of the Rings? _She thought excitedly.

Dan eyed her in the mirror briefly, grinning at her expression. "Yeah," he chuckled. "It looks bloody awful!"

Cornelia actually snorted, ignoring Dan's amused second glance. _I doubt anything you do looks awful_ , she thought to herself.

"You do realize that between you and Phil, you collectively care more about your appearance than most girls?" Cornelia questioned amusedly, taking this chance to walk away from the bathroom.

Cornelia couldn't help the giggle she emitted when she heard Dan's diva comeback of, "Yeah, well... _Ye-e-ah_!"

"Cornelia," Phil suddenly called out, walking out of his room and into the hallway where she was, making her jump. He in turn jumped slightly when he saw her right in front if him. "Oh, sorry," he chuckled.

"You sure you don't want to come around town with us today?" Phil asked. "I'm gonna be filming more of the 'Day in the Life' video."

Cornelia just quirked an eyebrow, but smiled. "I'd love to come, Phil, but I really do need to get to that one o'clock class."

Phil sighed, but then laughed, nudging her in the side as he walked past her, calling her a nerd.

Cornelia gasped in mock offence, and swiftly caught up to him, nudging him back, giggling.

She self-consciously tucked an errant strange of black hair behind her ear when Phil suddenly stopped walking a moment and his blue eyes just bored into her own blue eyes.

"What?" Cornelia asked.

"It's nothing," Phil replied with a wide smile. "It's just... You're so happy! I'm happy to see you so happy."

Cornelia just chuckled very softly. "It's because of you and Dan I feel so good. So, _thank you again_ , Lion."

Phil and Cornelia shared a quick hug, and separated when Dan joined them in the lounge, his fringe straightened and wrapping around his face.

Cornelia glanced between her cousin and Dan and smiled before gathering her things.

She had only brought her laptop, her prehistoric phone, and the jacket on her back over last night, so Phil had kindly lent her a shirt and some pajama bottoms to sleep in. Those were now in the wash.

"Okay," Phil sighed, satisfied. "You ready, Dan?"

"Yeah," he replied, looking between Cornelia and Phil. "You coming with us, Corrie?"

Cornelia looked up from the coffee table where her laptop was. "No, no I'm not," she replied. "I'll just be leaving the flat with you. I need to get back to Uni. Got a one o'clock class today, remember?"

"Ah," Dan nodded, looking a little disappointed. She had told him earlier this morning, though.

"Okay," Phil began, checking his pockets for his phone and his wallet and his camera. "I'm ready, Dan's ready... Are you ready, Cornie?"

Cornelia nodded, grabbing her laptop, and joined Phil's side as he made for the front door.

Humming slightly as they walked to the stairs, Cornelia walked in between Dan and Phil.

Dan had taken control of the camera and after a moment of deliberation, they decided to NOT go down the fifty thousand staircases, and walked to the lift, Cornelia finding herself falling into step with Dan, a few feet in front of Phil.

As they waited (and waited and waited) for the lift to come, they were silent. When the lift finally did come, Phil filmed almost the entire ride down.

When Phil turned off the camera, Cornelia realized something.

" _Damn_ ," Cornelia suddenly swore earning both Dan and Phil looked to her suddenly. She flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't have any money besides what I spent last night for bus fair..." She admitted bashfully.

"That's fine," Dan instantly replied first, taking out his wallet before Phil could.

"Um," Cornelia stammered, silently looking to Phil for help. "Really, Dan, I can walk, I was just thinking out loud..."

"Nonsense," Dan laughed, offering her the money to get home. "Here."

Cornelia stared at the proffered money, biting her lip.

"Dan, I could pay for her," Phil offered, seeing her apprehension. "No!" Dan insisted. "It's absolutely fine. Take it."

Cornelia reluctantly took the money offered to her and she looked to Dan's face, studying him as he put his wallet back in his pocket.

"I'll pay you back, Dan," she promised, tucking the money into her back pocket. "I feel rotten taking your money."

The lift doors opened, and Dan spoke as they all walked out of the building. "Nah! You don't have to pay me back. Consider it a 'Welcome to YouTube' gift!"

Cornelia mentally paused, staring at the back of Dan's head, perplexed but grateful. The walk back was long, and she didn't have a lot of time before she would be required to go to class.

"Thank you so much, Dan," she murmured when the two guys stopped suddenly.

Dan smiled kindly and nodded. "It's fine. A pleasure."

Cornelia smiled softly at the two of them, but then fully realized that they had stopped walking.

"Why did you two stop?"

Dan and Phil looked to her, and laughed quietly. "Well," Phil chuckled, "It's hardly gentlemanly to leave a woman alone at a bus stop, is it?"

Cornelia's head jerked up, and she suddenly realized that they WERE at a bus stop. Waiting for the bus WITH her.

When the bus came five minutes later, she hugged both of them before they took their separate ways.

* * *

Jamming her key into the dorm's lock, she twisted and made it into her room.

It was hilariously tiny, but considerably larger than most, as it was one of the "shared" units.

But Cornelia was lucky enough to not have been assigned a roommate.

She put down her laptop, changed her clothes, stuffed her laptop and her completed work into her laptop bag.

She checked her small wristwatch and let out a breath. She had more than enough time to relax for a few minutes.

It was only a minute later that her phone went off.

Recognizing Phil's number easily, she picked up.

"Yeah? Hello, Phil," she greeted immediately.

"Hey, Cornie! Just wanted to tell you to enjoy your class!" Phil greeted in return, his voice raised to hear himself on the busy street. "Also, say bye to the viewers!"

Cornelia stared at the floor with her mouth pulled into a flat line. But, quickly, she laughed.

It wasn't a giggle, or a chuckle, though. It was her "accidental laugh", if you will. She guffawed.

"Hi!" She laughed, elongating the 'h', making it sound like she was trying to fog a mirror. "I'm on speaker aren't I? Dan, just make sure Phil watches traffic."

When she heard both of them laughed, she laughed once more, and said, "Boys, I gotta go to class now. Have fun!"

Dan and Phil said their goodbyes, and she left her dorm swinging her bag over her head and settling the bag across her body.

As she was rushing through the halls, she felt her phone buzz against her thigh from in her bag, and she fished it out as she left the labyrinth of dorm rooms.

A simple message from Dan decorated her screen.

 _He literally almost killed himself on a crosswalk. I should actually watch him..._ It said.

Cornelia laughed to herself, closed the flip-phone, and sped-walked to her class.


End file.
